


Yule Traditions

by Hrollo



Category: Stand Still Stay Silent
Genre: Gen, I didn't intend to make readers cry but apparently it happened anyway, No Plot/Plotless, Sad Ending, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-09-22 15:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17062109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hrollo/pseuds/Hrollo
Summary: Reynir and Tuuri are talking about Yule traditions from their respective countries (these traditions may have evolved a bit since year 0).





	Yule Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on the SSSS fan forum as part of the 2018 advent calendar.

Reynir asked:  
"So, Tuuri, how do you celebrate Yule in Finland?"

Tuuri's expression seemed to be subtly shifting between thoughtfulness and quiet, resigned joy as she answered:  
"Well, back in Keuruu, it's a military town you know, and everyone is always on the lookout for trolls, so it's not always easy to accommodate time for celebrations together. If a scout takes a day off, another scout has to fill in for them. So typically Yule lasts only a handful of days for us, and we have to be pretty flexible about the hours to accommodate everyone. Since Lalli works by night, we typically celebrate in the mornings with him and Onni."

"On the first day, the scouts bring back small trees from the forest and put them on the town square, so that throughout the day everyone can come and put sheaves of wheat, barley or oat for the birds in the trees — that brings good luck — and decorate them with olkipukkis — those are tiny goats made of straw", she added as she noticed Reynir's puzzled expression. "Then we clean our lodgings thoroughly and light candles to honor the dead. Usually each person only lights one candle because they're expensive, and we always need to have a good supply of them in case electricity runs out. Then we have a sweet barley pudding with lots of cream! This is one of the few times of the year where we can have something with sugar in it, so that always makes me happy."

"On the second day, we go to the sauna to wash before the big meal, and we leave a little treat for the luontos — although I'm pretty sure that Onni and Lalli are eating these treats as soon as I have my back turned. Then there's the big communal meal with lots and lots of food. There's ham and cured whitefish and smoked salmon and cured salmon and carrots and swedes and potatoes and cheese and bread and mulled wine! I always eat too much on this day, but everyone at Keuruu knows it's not wise to try to shame me about it, I bite back! During the meal we're visited by Joulupukki, the Yule Goat. He wears red robes, a sheepskin coat, a birch bark mask and goat horns and has a long, brushy white beard. Normally he gives small wooden trinkets to children, but since there aren't a lot of children in Keuruu, he gives them to anyone who looks young enough really — I must have gotten a dozen of those already just at Keuruu."

"The third and final day is supposed to be a day of rest and leisure, but Onni and Lalli generally go back to work anyway. We usually celebrate the new year on that day too, to really wrap up the celebrations. I like to go out and go skating — each year they build an artificial skating rink on the town square. There are also dances in the main communal hall, I enjoy that too — I tried to teach Lalli how to dance tango once, but he would have none of it. Onni knows how to dance but he was always too embarrassed to dance with me, hmpf."

"Anyway, that's mostly how Yule goes for us. What about you Reynir? What do you do in Iceland for Yule?"

 

Reynir, who had been listening with quite a focused look, instantly lightened up and now looked giddy with excitement:  
"Oh, oh! Well, in Iceland, since we are more isolated from the outside world, we have less worries and more time for celebrations. Yuletide lasts almost four weeks here! Of course not everyone is home and celebrating for the whole four weeks, but you can feel the atmosphere of festivity in many little details: travelling relatives are coming home, the houses get cleaned and decorated, families get together to bake a lot of laufabrauð for themselves and for guests, and everyone seems a bit more brightful and cheerful."

"During the 13 days before Yule, the Yule lads visit the various towns of Iceland — they're elves who wear red-dyed wool clothing. Children have to leave their shoes by the window to let the Yule lads know that there are kids in the house. We also have to leave some food for them to take: milk, bread, cheese, mutton fat, leftovers. They also like to get kitchenware for some reason, pots, pans, spoons. Elves are weird! In exchange, they give clothes to everyone in the house — it's very important to get clothes! If you don't get any new clothes, the Yule cat comes and steals your meal on Yule eve, not fun! If the children of the household have been good, the Yule lads also give them a new book that has been written this year — usually a small book of tales or poetry. Ah, but I don't think I'll get one this year, running away from home wasn't exactly "good kid" behavior. I'll probably just get a handwritten note reminding me to be a better son, hmpf."

"The day before Yule eve, we decorate the Yule tree and have a simple meal of boiled skate. My father told me that on this day we celebrate Þorlákur Þórhallsson, a mage from before the Rash. That seems weird to me, I didn't know they already had mages back then! After that, it's Yule eve, where we have the big meal, smoked lamb! Lots of magical things happen on that night! One time I heard the sheep talk to me! I told Bjarni to come and listen, but he couldn't hear them and said I must have had a dream, but I swear I heard them! It's also said the dead come back to life on that night and you can talk to them — although most people say only mages can really do that."

"Then on Yule proper we eat legs of roast lamb. Apparently people also used to eat ptarmigan birds on that day, but they disappeared from Iceland during the great famine of year 7. They eventually returned some years before I was born, but now they're considered a holy bird and it's forbidden to hunt them. The day after Yule we have public dances in my village, it's a lot of fun, Bjarni and I get to show off our moves and everyone laughs and claps their hands!"

"A few days later it's the new year! We shoot fireworks to shoo the old year away — I'm not really sure how that's supposed to work, but I go along with it. Finally, 13 days after Yule, we light bonfires, dance one last time with the Yule lads and we say goodbye to them. And that marks the end of Yuletide."

 

At this moment the door opened suddenly, giving way to an overdressed and overexcited Bjarni who immediately asked Reynir:  
"Hey lil' bro' why are you staying here alone? We're about to decorate the tree! Wait…"

Bjarni took a look at Reynir's room, and at Reynir sitting by the window with a lighted candle. Bjarni asked with a puzzled expression:  
"What were you doing exactly?"

Reynir answered, smiling:  
"Nothing, just talking to a dear friend."

Bjarni remained perplexed for a few seconds, then sighed and smiled:  
"You know what, sure, let's go with that. I get it, mage stuff, right? Anyway, come, hurry up, everyone's waiting!"

Reynir followed Bjarni outside of the room, but just before closing the door, he whispered:  
"Hyvää joulua, Tuuri."

And a voice answered softly:  
"Gleðileg jól, Reynir."

**Author's Note:**

> As I was writing this I really thought that this ending was too cliché, but I couldn't think of a better one. Readers did not complain though (so far).


End file.
